El beso inolvidable de Ghost Lips

Capítulo 26

The maid carefully removed the batteries, and the young master used his flashlight to help her change them. I held the bronze sword in one hand while watching them. Suddenly, I looked up and saw that the four figures on the bluestone platform, illuminated by the dim flashlight beam, stretched out in long, elongated shadows.

Four figures?

I was immediately jolted awake. There were only three of us: me, the young master, and the maid. Where did the fourth one come from? I quickly looked around, but there was nothing else around except the three of us, and nothing that could possibly make a human figure.

I stared intently at the figure that had appeared on the ground. Gradually, under my gaze, the figure faded away and finally disappeared.

ghost!

My heart pounded, and my palms were drenched in cold sweat again. The young master and the maid were busy changing the batteries in the flashlight, neither of them noticing this strange scene. The maid replaced the batteries and turned the flashlight back on; because they were new, the light immediately became bright. The young master noticed my pale face and asked, "Old Xu, what's wrong?"

I thought I was probably seeing things; after all, it's possible to hallucinate after being in the dark for a long time. So I shook my head and said it was nothing, and the young master didn't take it to heart. The maid asked me, "What do we do now?"

I said, what else can we do? First, let's see who is buried in the coffin under this tree, find their epitaph, and see if there are any useful clues. Our top priority is to get out of here.

The maid remained silent, while the young master began walking towards the somewhat eerie-looking coffin under the tree. Suddenly, the maid called out, "Wait!"

The young master turned around, puzzled, and asked her what was wrong. The girl said she felt something was off. I thought to myself, nothing here feels right; this is an ancient tomb, not a tourist attraction. I knew the girl was probably panicked, so I helped her up and comforted her for a moment before we walked step by step toward the coffin with the tent covering it.

The more the young master looked at the coffin with the tent, the funnier he found it. He couldn't help but tease, "Hey, Old Xu, do you think this guy's got something wrong with his head? He's dead and he's putting a tent on his coffin. Is he afraid of the rain?"

The girl also displayed her sense of humor, saying, "Maybe he's not afraid of the rain, but rather that his thinking is thousands of years ahead of its time. Speaking of which, aren't modern people all into buying a tent to spend the night in the wild, calling it getting close to nature? I heard that tents are selling like hotcakes right now."

I rolled my eyes, feeling incredibly strange myself. The shape of the coffin itself wasn't unusual, but the tent-like structure was just odd. I thought for a moment and said, "Stop fooling around, let's go see who's buried inside."

Although the young master and the maid spoke with great ease, they were actually quite nervous inside, and their steps toward the coffin with the tent covering it seemed particularly heavy.

The semi-circular stone platform was large enough, but it had its limits. We moved very slowly, but we were still getting closer step by step. We were only five steps away from the coffin with the tent. Under the light of my flashlight, the tent, made of some unknown material, faintly showed a translucent color.

We could already vaguely see what was inside when suddenly, the girl let out a soft "Eh." I turned to look at her and saw a look of utter disbelief on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, puzzled.

"It seems...it seems...there's something alive inside the tent..." The girl's voice was trembling.

"Living creatures!" A chill ran down my spine, rushing straight to my head. What did it mean that there were living creatures inside the tents of this ancient tomb?

The girl then said that she had just clearly seen a black shadow move inside the tent, and it looked like a human shadow.

Upon hearing this, my heart skipped a beat. A human shadow? Just now, when the maid and the young master were busy changing the batteries in the flashlight, I also clearly saw a black shadow on the ground, which vaguely resembled a human figure.

The young master shook his head and comforted the maid, "Perhaps you're seeing things. There's no shadow at all."

Indeed, the girl shone her flashlight into the tent above the coffin, but there was no shadow inside. The tent was like a mosquito net in summer, semi-transparent and hazy, which made it even more mysterious than not being able to see anything at all.

Just as the three of us were talking, a black shadow suddenly appeared on the tent. The girl couldn't help but scream "Ah!" This time, the young master and I could see it clearly; it was indeed a figure, a figure that seemed to be wearing a black cloak.

The young master and I looked at each other, speechless for a moment. The young master raised his crossbow, nocked a bamboo arrow, and was about to shoot. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly lowered my voice and said, "Don't be reckless!" But as I spoke, I secretly and gently drew the ancient bronze sword that I had just obtained.

I don't care what kind of divine artifact this ancient bronze sword is, or whether it's priceless. To me now, it's just a sharp weapon, a weapon, and the original purpose of a sword is to be used as a weapon.

Just like last time, the black shadow didn't last long, gradually fading away. Finally, it vanished as if it had never been there at all. But this time, all three of us witnessed its appearance and disappearance.

The young master turned around and lowered his voice, saying, "Old Xu, you make the decision!"

My heart was pounding with anxiety, like fifteen buckets hanging from a ceiling. I dared not make any decisions. But this stalemate couldn't go on any longer; who knew what else might be on that platform? So, I deliberately feigned arrogance and sneered, "What's there to be afraid of? It's just a shadow. We're not afraid of monsters, so why should we be afraid of this?"

Encouraged by my words, the young master and maid visibly emboldened, and the three of them boldly continued forward. However, after taking only one step, I heard a chilling wind behind me, making my already soaked clothes feel even colder.

Out of human instinct, I couldn't help but look back, and that one glance was enough to terrify me out of my wits—

I don't know when, but behind us, on the previously empty stone platform, countless black shadows appeared. Yes, I can only describe them as shadows, because they were so indistinct that I couldn't see their faces at all. I could only see that they all seemed to be wearing cloaks, their entire bodies covered by black cloaks, making them indistinct.

Chapter Eight: The Coffin-Guarding Fox

The young master seemed to want to say something to me. He turned to the side, and his gaze naturally fell on the terrifying object behind him. Just like me, he was terrified and instinctively shot the bamboo arrow in his hand with a "bang".

The nearest black shadow was only four or five steps away, so the young master's bamboo arrow shot out without any hindrance. However, the arrow pierced through the black shadow and landed on the stone platform. The young master and I stared in disbelief. The maid had also turned around, her face pale as she looked at the black ghostly figure before her, one hand tightly gripping my clothes, her face filled with terror. The flashlight in her hand flickered erratically, probably due to her trembling fingers, making the ghostly figure appear even more sinister.

"Old Xu..." The young master swallowed hard and asked with difficulty, "What should we do?"

Damn it, what do we do? How am I supposed to know what to do? Why doesn't he use his pig brain to think of a solution? I looked at the ghostly figures still standing there, and immediately gritted my teeth, "Ignore them, let's keep moving forward, opening the coffin and making a fortune is the priority!"

As I spoke, I don't know where I got the courage, but I turned around and, without even glancing at the black shadows, walked straight towards the coffin under the stone tree. Under these circumstances, the young master and the maid followed my lead and walked towards the coffin as well.

I had barely taken a step when a chill ran down my spine. Turning around, I saw a black-clad ghostly figure standing less than a step behind me, its dark, bird-like claws reaching for my neck. I hadn't wanted to provoke these ghostly figures, partly out of fear, and partly because I didn't know what they were. Were they ghosts? Or spirits? Or an illusion created by some kind of magic?

I didn't want to provoke it, but it showed no intention of letting me go. Just as its ugly, ghostly claws were about to grab my neck, I heard the girl's terrified scream beside me. My anger flared, and with a surge of courage, I swung my sword down at the ghostly figure's waist.

"Ah..." A bloodcurdling scream seemed to echo in my heart. The black ghostly figure had actually been cleaved in two by my sword and fell to the ground. Its two black body parts, lying on the ground, were still moving frantically.

"Old Xu, come quick and help..." In that instant, the young master's terrified cry for help came from the side. I turned around and saw that the young master and the maid were surrounded by layers of ghostly figures. The young master was desperately waving bamboo arrows to shield the maid, but he couldn't stop the ghostly figures from advancing.

But I was already surrounded by countless ghostly figures. Countless ghostly hands, like bird claws, were reaching out towards me. I swung my ancient bronze sword to slightly halt their advance.

"Ah..." came the girl's terrified scream from the side, and at the same time I heard a soft "thud" as the flashlight in her hand fell to the ground. In an instant, we were plunged into complete darkness.

I had a bad feeling about this, and I frantically swung the bronze sword with one hand while reaching for the flashlight in my bag with the other. But I found nothing. Then I remembered that I had given my flashlight to the young master.

"Young master, flashlight!" I yelled. The deadly darkness was enough to suffocate us, not to mention those ghostly figures of unknown origin.

"Brother Xu, save me..." The girl's terrified voice seemed to be nearby. I didn't care about anything else and used the sharpness of the ancient bronze sword to charge towards the girl.

Suddenly, I felt a weight on my sword, as if something was gripping it tightly, and a great force came from the tip of the sword. I stumbled and almost lost my grip on the ancient bronze sword, but I knew very well that this ancient bronze sword was the only weapon I had now, and if I lost it, I would hardly survive in this environment.

It was still pitch black all around, and the young master seemed not to have heard me. I called out to him again, but this time, there was only deathly silence. Not only did the young master not respond, but even the maid's cries for help faded away.

I was filled with fear, my limbs went weak, and I could barely hold onto the ancient bronze sword. The immense force emanating from the sword's tip seemed determined to seize it from my grasp. Just then, I felt a chill creep up my back, like a large block of ice in winter, making me shiver.

"Girl..." I cried out in fear.

All that remained before me was darkness and deathly silence, and the girl didn't answer me either. Meanwhile, the chilling sensation behind me grew stronger, as if it were seeping into my very bones. At the same time, something tightened around my neck, as if it were touching it.

No, it looks like a human finger. But it's ice cold, like ice in the dead of winter!

Immediately afterward, I felt my breathing become labored, and those icy, ghostly claws gripped my neck tightly. Every hair on my body stood on end, and extreme fear assaulted my already fragile mind. My hands went limp, and my tongue felt like it was about to stick out.

Am I going to die? I'm going to die eventually! I pondered this in my heart, countless images flashing through my mind. But the clearest image was Wang Quansheng and the professor's hideous, terrifying smiles after their deaths.

No! I screamed frantically in my heart. Even if I were to die, it shouldn't be so horribly. I'd rather my soul be scattered than die a miserable death like the professor. With that thought, I don't know where the strength came from, but I suddenly snatched the bronze sword away with all my might. It seemed as if the force that had been entangled on the tip of the sword was violently flung away by me.

Then, I rolled over and thrust my sword at my back. Damn it, I don't care if you're human or ghost, take this first!

A tearing sound seemed to come from behind me. Then, the chilling aura seemed to leave my body. I took a heavy breath, raised the ancient bronze sword, and called out again, "Girl...Young Master..."

In the darkness, there remained a deathly silence. I was worried about the girl and the young master, but I had no light source on me, making it impossible to find them. My heart was filled with anxiety, and I don't know where the brute force came from, but I suddenly swung the ancient bronze sword violently, roaring, "Damn it, you vengeful spirits and evil ghosts, all of you get out of my way, or if you anger me, I'll beat you all to a pulp..."

Before I could finish speaking, I suddenly heard a gloomy voice next to me say, "Hey, Lao Xu, you're so impressive..." As the voice spoke, a dim yellow light shone on next to me.

The young master stood shakily beside me, holding a flashlight in one hand and a bamboo arrow in the other, with a pale-faced maid standing beside him. I was initially overjoyed, but then I couldn't help but fly into a rage, shouting, "Young master, what do you mean? It was pitch black just now, and I called you so many times. Couldn't you have answered even once?"

The young master paused, then asked, "Did you call me? I called you many times, why didn't you answer?"

I was stunned. Did the young master call me? How come I didn't hear him? The girl's flashlight had fallen not far from me. I quickly went over, picked it up, and patted it a couple of times. Luckily, the girl's flashlight was indeed of good quality, waterproof and shockproof. The little bulb inside hadn't broken. After my tinkering, it actually started shining again.

I walked over to the young master and maid, shining my flashlight around. We were still on the platform, with the coffin with the tent not far away. The shadowy black figure that had appeared so inexplicably had vanished just as inexplicably; now, apart from the coffin, there were only the three of us on the entire platform.

I handed the flashlight to the girl. Seeing tears welling up in her eyes and her body trembling, I quickly offered her a few words of comfort. The girl's lips trembled, but she wouldn't take the flashlight; instead, she looked at me with a face full of fear.

"What's wrong?" I asked, puzzled.

The girl remained silent, but her body trembled even more violently. She pointed at me. Seeing me approach, she reacted as if she'd seen a ghost, suddenly cowering behind the young master. I was startled. The girl had clearly always been very dependent on me, so her current behavior must have a reason. Suspicious, I couldn't help but look down at myself.

Upon seeing this, I was terrified. I was wearing beige jeans, which clung uncomfortably to my body after being soaked in water. After a fierce struggle, the jeans were half-dry, but now they were covered in bright red bloodstains.

I wasn't injured, so where did this blood come from? I was startled, but then I saw the young master holding a crossbow with a bamboo arrow nocked, protecting the maid as he took a few steps back, looking at me warily.

Upon seeing this, I was instantly enraged. What the hell did they mean by this? It's just bloodstains! Why are they treating me like a thief? But before I could even speak, the young master pointed a bamboo arrow at me and asked fiercely, "Old Xu, it's not that I'm being mean, but you have to tell me, what's with the bloodstains on you?"

Upon hearing this, I flew into a rage and retorted, "I just slashed at a few ghost shadows; it must have been splashed on me!"

"No...no..." The girl shook her head repeatedly, her lips trembling as she said, "Brother Xu, those ghostly figures just now didn't have any blood..."

I knew those ghostly figures weren't bloodstained; otherwise, there would definitely be blood on the ground. Besides, the young master and maid had fought a fierce battle with them; if they were stained, I wouldn't be the only one. I was also suspicious, and as I thought this, I looked again at the bloodstains on my jeans. The blood had been sprayed on in a jet-like pattern, as if a mischievous child had sprayed it with a water gun; in this situation, the bright red color was shocking.

"I say, Old Xu, answer a few questions for me." The young master still pointed the bamboo arrow at me.

"What?" I was both amused and exasperated.

"What's your name?" the young master asked seriously.

I glared at him fiercely, thinking to myself that I was magnanimous and wouldn't stoop to the level of this bastard. I'd settle the score with him after he got out of here.

"My name is Xu Sanqing, and I'm your grandfather!" I couldn't hold back my anger and couldn't help but verbally provoke him before saying, "It's just bloodstains, so what? Don't fucking treat me like a ghost!"

The young master remained silent, turning to look at the maid. The maid hesitated for a moment, then said weakly, "Brother Xu, it's not that we don't believe you, but you have to explain why you have blood on you when you're not injured."

I was furious upon hearing this. This brat actually expected me to get hurt? I immediately shoved the bronze sword back into its sheath. Just as the sword was sheathed, a thought suddenly struck me. Something seemed to have been fighting with me for the bronze sword, and I had injured it with great force. Could it be that the blood on my body was from that moment?

As I thought to myself, I held up my flashlight and carefully shone it on the ground. Since it was completely dark around us, and only the dim light from our flashlights made things difficult, we hadn't noticed anything on the ground until now. It was only then, when I looked closely, that I discovered a pool of still-wet crimson blood not far from us. I exclaimed "Huh!" and walked over to examine it closely for a moment, recalling what had just happened. Clearly, something had tried to seize the ancient bronze sword from my hand, but I had instead injured it, causing it to flee in panic. Those shadowy figures were likely there to cover for it.

At this moment, the maid and the young master also cautiously walked over. Thinking of the suspicion the young master and the maid had shown me earlier, I couldn't help but glare at them both fiercely. The maid was so frightened that she hurriedly hid behind the young master. The young master glared back at me and said, "Old Xu, why are you being so fierce?"

"You're not doubting me now?" I said, barely containing my anger.

"Suspect you?" the young master raised his voice. "You still haven't explained clearly what's going on."

Damn it! What's the point of explaining? Everything here is probably not so easy to explain. This is an ancient tomb; nothing here can be deduced by common sense. I tried hard to recall what had just happened. In the darkness, there was definitely something that tried to take my bronze sword, but in the end, it failed and was even injured by me.

The girl looked at the bloodstains on the ground, then at the bloodstains on my body, and asked timidly, "Brother Xu, what... what kind of blood is this?"

"Could it be human blood?" the young master asked hurriedly, his mouth agape.

To be honest, I'm in the antique plate business, not a doctor. How can I tell what kind of blood is on the ground just by glancing at it? However, the bloodstains are deep red, so it shouldn't be anything foreign. Maybe it's some kind of animal that lives on the ground? I comforted myself.

Suddenly, the girl gently tugged at my sleeve. I froze, only to see her pale face and timid eyes staring at the coffin not far away. I followed her gaze. The flashlight was still in my hand. I shone it on the coffin's canopy and could clearly see a pool of fresh blood on it.

My heart skipped a beat. That was a coffin! Could it be that the thing that ran out to snatch the bronze sword from my hand was actually something inside the coffin?

In an instant, my vest was soaked with cold sweat, and the young master naturally witnessed this shocking scene as well. The three of us were probably thinking the same thing: we were all dumbfounded. We looked at each other, our pupils reflecting the same panic.

What might be inside a coffin? Common sense dictates that coffins are reserved for the dead, but do the dead still have blood? Especially a corpse that's thousands of years old?

I knew that standing there like this wouldn't work, so I mustered my courage and walked towards the coffin. At the same time, with a clang, I drew my bronze sword again, thinking to myself, no matter if there's a person, a ghost, or a demon inside the coffin, since my bronze sword could hurt it just now, I don't think I need to be afraid of it this time.

But as I approached the tent containing the coffin, my heart began to race, and I swallowed hard. I handed the flashlight to the maid and instructed the young master and maid to step back a short distance.

The young master objected, saying in a low voice, "Old Xu, what are you saying? We came in together, so we should share the good times and the bad."

I glared at him fiercely. This was not the time to act rashly. I immediately lowered my voice and said, "I'm just taking precautions against an accident. You all step back so you can deal with any commotion." As I spoke, I instructed him to prepare a crossbow and bamboo arrows to protect the girl.

The maid's hand, holding the flashlight, trembled uncontrollably. Seeing that he couldn't persuade me otherwise, the young master immediately pulled the maid back two steps. He let the maid hold the flashlight, while he himself held a bamboo arrow, fully alert.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In this dark underground place, who knows what might appear? How could a single bamboo arrow possibly handle it? But having a weapon is better than having no weapon at all.

Standing there like this for long wasn't going to work, and for some reason, I had an inexplicable sense of dread, as if some primordial beast was waiting for me inside this shallow tent. I took a deep breath, raised my bronze sword, and thrust it into the tent.

But just as the sword tip entered the tent, it suddenly felt heavy, as if something had caught it. Then, an incredibly powerful force pulled me inward through the ancient bronze sword. Caught off guard, I was almost dragged into the tent. In a panic, I could only pull myself back with all my might.